Video here :
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18U669GbZB/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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Saturday 4th October 2025
Location: Central Kyiv
Live broadcast to an international audience!
VPDFO 2025
Back for a fourth consecutive year, VPDFO 2025! lifts the middle finger to Vladimir Putin. We get together the bold and the brave to talk about the war, raise awareness and inspire people with the extraordinary sacrifices of ordinary Ukrainian people.
Raising money once again for a basket of fantastic charities, VPDFO 2025! will bring unique content and interactive sessions to English speaking audiences the world over.
Theme 1 Useless allies; pitiless enemies: Why is the West betraying Ukraine?
Theme 2 War in 2025: How drones are reshaping the modern battlefield
Theme 3 Suffering: 20,000 children kidnapped, soldiers maimed, prisoners tortured
Theme 4 Courage: How Ukraine’s dark sense of humour defeats the Kremlin
Theme 5 After the war is over: what peace will look like
Theme 6 What to do with Russia?
SPEAKERS
John Sweeney Writer & Broadcaster
Vlad Demchenko Ukrainian soldier
Oleksandra Matviichuk Nobel Prize winner
Sasha Aleksandrenko Journalist
Ian Bearder Digital entrepreneur based in Kyiv
Arthur Snell Writer & Broadcaster
Mariia Chepa Survivor of Russian occupation
James Rushton Journalist
Paul Conroy Photographer
Caolan Robertson Film Maker
Paul Niland Lifeline Ukraine
Chris Occhicone Photographer
Yaroslav Lodygin Ukrainian film maker
Johnny Mercer Former Tory veterans minister (UK)
Liza Kozlenko Journalist
AGENDA
12.45: Start with live introduction by John Sweeney 🧔🏼♂️
12.50: Short film setting out VPDFO goals with Ukrainian soldier and triple amputee Anton whose black plastic finger is the festival logo 🖕🏿
13:00: Useless allies; pitiless enemies: Why is the West betraying Ukraine?
With: Paul Conroy, Vlad Demchenko, James Hewitt, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Johnny Mercer, Arthur Snell, chaired by John Sweeney.
~ ☕️ 13.50: Ten minute break – filled with short films on our charities 🎬 ~
14:00: How drones are reshaping the modern battlefield
With: Chris Occhicone, Caolan Robertson, James Rushton, Dmytro Kovalchuk, journalist, chaired by Arthur Snell
~ ☕️ 14:50: Ten minute break – filled with short films on our charities ~
15:00: Suffering: 20,000 children kidnapped, soldiers maimed, prisoners tortured
With: Mariia Chepa, Liza Kozlenko, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Paul Niland, Caolan Robertson, chaired by Johnny Mercer
~ ☕️ 15.50: Break ~
16:00: Courage: How Ukraine’s dark sense of humour defeats the Kremlin
With A Comedian? Sasha Aleksandrenko, Vlad Demchenko, Max Leonov, Yaroslav Lodygin, chaired by John Sweeney
~ ☕️ 16.50: Break ~
17:00: After the war is over: what peace will look like
With Arthur Snell, James Rushton, Mariia Chepa, Paul Niland, James Hewitt, chaired by Ian Bearder
~ ☕️ 17.50: Break ~
18:00: What to do with Russia?
With Oleksandra Matviichuk, Paul Conroy, Caolan Robertson, Yaroslav Lodygin, Max Leonov, Johnny Mercer, chaired by JS
~ ☕️ 18.50: Break ~
19:00: Question Time: all our panellists give quick-fire answers, chaired by John Sweeney
20:00: Comedian 🤣
21:00: Band 🎶
22:00: Wrap-up VPDFO! ✌️
CHARITIES
We are proud to support organizations making a real difference in Ukraine — from frontline medical volunteers and mental health hotlines to rehabilitation centers, humanitarian aid projects, and housing initiatives. Each charity plays a vital role in saving lives, restoring hope, and helping communities rebuild for the future.
The full VPDFO website can be visited here :
That’s a great lineup of passionate Ukraine supporters. I hope it will be a huge success.
I remember the excellent John Sweeney always signing off his videos with :
“Oh and VLADIMIR PUTIN; DO FUCK OFF.”
It seems to have caught on!
“Useless allies; pitiless enemies: Why is the West betraying Ukraine?”
I want to hear the answer to this terrible question, which surely should never have needed to be asked?
Many so-called allies deserve to get the Ukrainian experience, with missile and drone strikes, artillery barrages, torture, and everything else.
“What to do with Russia?”
Castrate all the warmongers, evil haters, and fascists. They should not be allowed to reproduce.
To call your allies “Useless” is unfair and inaccurate when they have supplied Ukraine with billions of dollars of sustenance and armaments. Your characterization vilifies your friends and makes it easier to deny you. I suggest you use some other verbiage such as “timid” or “unwitting”. Their apprehension is not without some justification. I agree the West has not been aggressive enough, and unfortunately you have had to pay the price. May the Almighty shed the light on all of us until the Muscovites are defeated. Slava Ukraine!
You may have experienced a comprehension problem. “Useless allies” is a quote from the programme and means just that, ie the ones that like to call themselves allies but give next to nothing. There are many.
There is no criticism; implied or intended, to those allies who DO provide real help and support.
You are maybe inadvertently attempting to cast a shadow on a long running event that raises $millions for Ukrainian causes. As you can see from the list of speakers, their probity is impeccable.
They are trying to persuade feckless allies to give much more.
In 2022, Germany was funding genocide to the tune of $70 billion/year on putinaZi energy. All they sent to Ukraine was a few old helmets.
Can you even imagine the amount of persuasion and cajoling from the friends of Ukraine that made Germany eventually become one of Ukraine’s top donors?
An example of a useless ally that became a crucial one.